//8// Your faith is lacking

Upon returning to campus, Arsenal never imagined that he would be faced with a couple of students who wanted to know the truth.

Frankly speaking, he wouldn't have been bothered if they asked him those questions directly. Rather they used it as a means to mock him.

"Hide your girlfriend y'all," one of the students yelled upon seeing Arsenal,

"Hide them or he's going to try something… you never know."

Out of everything the students have said to him, this student's statement got on his nerves. He cast a deadly gaze on the student but the young man didn't seem to get the warning.

He stood there laughing with his mates, while Arsenal burned with fury from within. He started to feel the surge of electrifying current running through his veins.

'How could this be possible? The beast mode couldn't have been active without my Aether coins, plus ten minutes was over' Arsenal found himself subconsciously thinking about the system, and failed to realize how quickly he was losing his temper and at the same time losing control of his body.

Without a second thought, Arsenal dashed to the laughing student and grabbed him by the collar. He lifted him off the ground so effortlessly and looked into his eyes.

Arsenal's beastly gaze frightened the young man, and a few students already gathered around to witness what seemed to be another showdown. However, to their disappointment, Arsenal tossed his prey to the ground like a rag and took to his heel.

In a few minutes, he got to the boy's bathroom and flung the door open, startling the student who was present at the time.

"Damm, bro, what the hell was that?" He asked, but his words fell on deaf ears as Arsenal rushed into one of the stalls and locked the door.

"Well, you could have just said that you needed to take a shit bro, like… geez." The students scoffed and slammed the door after walking out of the bathroom.

Inside the stall, Arsenal sat down and took a deep breath, he ran his fingers through his hair and tried to catch his breath before thinking of what to do.

He began to recall the incidents from when he had passed out, but he thought it was all a dream. Could it be that the system was real? Or was this a fragment of his imagination?

"System, are you there?" He uttered hoping to get a response, but he didn't even wait a second before concluding that he was out of his mind.

"This is so childish, why would I even think that…

[ Yes, I'm still here ]

"F*ck!" He exclaimed and almost jumped out of his skin. Arsenal moved to the wall separating the stall from the others, and his heartbeat became faster.

Even though there was no one else in the stall with him, Arsenal acted like he had seen a ghost, and his body was covered in goosebumps.

"You… are real?"

[ Again, yes. Why are you so surprised? While we were in Gnoman you didn't act so shocked]

"That's because I thought it was a freaking dream!" Arsenal yelled but quickly realized that he was in a public bathroom and anyone could be there listening to him.

"No, no, look, I don't like these kinds of games, right? A system is nothing but a made-up piece of junk from a novel, none of that is real…

[ Still doesn't explain why I am speaking to you but you can't see me, what do you think I am, Venom?]

"What the hell?"

"I don't care how you got into my head, just get out, I cast you away! I bind you… you demon."

[ Relax, Arsenal, I'm not a demon that you cast away, even if I was, your faith is lacking. Now stop being dramatic and focus on other things, like regaining your dignity and passing your test. ]

"I still don't believe this, no, I can't okay, prove it, prove to me that you are truly a system, if you can't, then I'll have no choice but to go to a church right now and see a priest. I can't have any demons in my head."

[ Fine ]

[ I'm not a system, technically. I'm posing as one to use you as a medium to save the people of Gnoman. I don't intend to rush the plot or your training, but since you asked, I will take you back to Gnoman immediately. ]

"Wait, what?"

Arsenal was yet to complete his words when the scenery around him changed as if he had just walked into a simulation.

[ Does this place look familiar? ]

Arsenal looked around him in awe, this was the same place he had fought with those agents. There was still visible evidence of the clash, but the Agents' bodies were already taken away.

"No way," he uttered in disbelief.

[ Still, doubting? ]

"I… I don't know," He replied,

"The beast mode is real, you are real, the money," He paused and gasped,

"The money is real, one million dollars is real!"

[ Since you are here, you got some more work to do. ]

The holographic screen lit up, and Arsenal saw the notification button blinking. Unlike the first time, he was a little bit hesitant to click on it.

"A task?" He asked.

[ Quite obvious isn't it? ]

After a few seconds, Arsenal clicked on the notification and it opened up with the following information on the screen.

-[ Retrieve the General's amulet before sundown]-

-[ the amulet is an important element to your quest]-

-[ the General is the current chief commander of the agents in this region of Gnoman]-

-[ Rewards 10 exp, 20 Aether coins, $? ]-

"I'm not sure what kind of task this is, but if it's going to earn me more money, then sure why not!"

"Hey!" Arsenal was immediately interrupted by a familiar voice that caused him to look up Immediately.

"I didn't expect to still find you here again." She said, standing at a safe distance like she was still afraid of him.

"Ohana?" Arsenal's jaws dropped in shock as he stared at Ohana from her head to her toe. It was difficult to believe that she was the same girl he saved earlier.